Linux why not fully dynamic?

[Gordon McMillan]

Robin Becker asks:

> Why doesn't ./configure set up for a libpython.so.1.5.2 or whatever?

Don't know. Maybe because this kind of scheme doesn't work on 
some other Unixen?

> Also does anyone understand how the RH setup knows where the .py &
> .so files will be stored? -- Robin Becker

It tries all kinds of things (and it varies by platform). For *nix, 
read the comments at the top of Modules/getpath.c. The common case 
is ${PREFIX}/lib/python${VERSION} and <ditto>/lib-dynload. There are 
completely different getpath.c modules for Windows and OS/2.

- Gordon